Friends With Benefits

New Mexico is a land of soaring altitudes and a dry-as-a-chuppacabra’s-bone climate. Most of Louisiana crouches at, or even below, sea level, wading in air that’s stickier than an Elton John song. New Mexico seems to only cut loose if balloons or a burning effigy are about, and the state isn’t so fond of the hooch. Louisiana likes to live large (save for the Evangelicals), using any excuse to tap its toe and take a sip. Other than obscene poverty levels and having been settled by the Spanish once upon a time, the two states have little in common.

Non Stop Bhangra dance party

By Summer Olsson

At the beginning of my love affair with Bollywood films, I made every single person I knew repeatedly watch the “Chaiyya Chaiyya” scene in Dil Se—a dance sequence that takes place on top of a moving train. While friends looked on with amusement, I would jump up and down, squealing and pointing at the screen. Something about the traditional Indian music and dance blended with club beats and ’90s hip-hop moves filled me with glee. “And they’re on top of a moving train!”

Dead Sound

Music is the Enemy came to be two years ago with one guy writing crappy songs in a dark room. Now a five-piece (whose members wish to conceal their identities) that plays “fast, violent punk rock” in the loosest sense of the term, the band is taking a stand against music with an auditory manifesto titled Mr. Murdoch ... We're Ready For Our Target Audience. “We're trying to end music, basically," says *****. “You could consider it a parody. It's a parody that's real though." Find out what the annihilation of music sounds like, and score a free CD, at the band’s all-ages album protest on Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Tree House—one of the space’s final shows. Tenderizor, Epiphany, The Balcony Scene and Spring-Loaded Hot Dog provide opening chaos beginning at 8 p.m. More about the belles of this ball at musickillsrockstars.com. (Jessica Cassyle Carr)

*****’s random tracks

By Jessica Cassyle Carr

***** is the front man for the local heaviness that is Music is the Enemy. ***** declines to be named because of the subversive nature of his music project, which releases its first album at an all-ages Treehouse show this Saturday, and a 21-and-over Burt’s Tiki Lounge show on Oct. 2 (next Saturday). Below you’ll find five random tracks that he likes ... whoever he is.

Yule Logs and Jingle Balls • Holly Rebelle • Mena Domina • burlesque

By Devin D. O'Leary

Gilded Cage Burlesk and Varieté is definitely getting on Santa's Naughty list with Yule Logs and Jingle Balls: A Very Risqué, Very Glittery, Very Burlesque Ode to the Holidays. Burlesque dancers, sideshow performers, drag acts and more join forces to celebrate this most sparkly of holidays in grand style…